Making Rag Rugs

A rag rug can be made on a hand loom at home.  It makes a thick and serviceable covering for the floor.  To make a rag rug, use a warp of strong cotton thread, and weave in any kind of rags twisted into small rolls.

First use a strong cotton yarn reeled into skeins of five knots.  About one skein to the yard of carpet will be required, with about three knots additional for binding at the end of each breadth.

Choosing the Rags

The contents of the rag bag should be first picked over, and rags intended to be used as rag rugs should be washed and ironed and afterwards ripped apart.  Seams and worn spots should be rejected.  They should then be sorted according to the colors of materials, and if not needed at once, stored away for future use.

To cut rags for the rug, trim around the outside of the rag, clipping off square corners, and continue cutting round and round until the rag is all cut up.  By this means small pieces may be used, the rags will be of satisfactory length, and will require less sewing.  Cotton rags and rags of fine dress goods make a smoother and better-looking carpet than rags of heavy woolen colors.

The quantity of rags required may be estimated by weight.  For each yard one and one half to two pounds of rags, depending upon the material, will be required.  In sewing, it is better to mix the different shades of the same color so that the stripes will be of an even and uniform shade.  But if the pepper and salt pattern is desired all the colors may be mixed together.

For this kind of carpet short pieces may be used.  Sew with the through-and through stitch, very close together.

Adapted from “Household Discoveries”, 1909